"A cloud is made of billows upon billows upon billows that look like clouds. As you come closer to a cloud you don't get something smooth, but irregularities at a smaller scale"

This quote by Benoit Mandelbrot is a metaphor for the intricacy of the world. He is suggesting that when we look at something from a range, it appears to be simple and consistent, but when we look better, we can see that it is really comprised of many different elements. This is true of clouds, which seem one uniform mass from a range, however when we look more detailed, we can see that they are comprised of various billows. This metaphor can be used to lots of aspects of life, such as the economy, politics, and even our own lives. We might believe that we have a good understanding of a specific circumstance, however when we look closer, we can see that it is really far more complex than we initially believed. This quote is a suggestion to always look closer and to never ever take anything at stated value.